OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY AND VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN LATROBE COUNCIL
Thursday 21 February 2013
A public meeting of nearly 200 people at Shearwater Resort last night expressed overwhelming support for a Parliamentary inquiry and vote of no confidence in the Latrobe Council.
“The community has spoken in no uncertain terms, said Guy Barnett, spokesperson for the Save Our Seaside Village (‘SOSV’) which hosted the public meeting.
“The Shearwater commercial centre has been frozen in time by the Latrobe Council’s 250 square metre prohibition on development introduced on 24 April 2008. The baker, newsagent, chemist, butcher, bottle shop and supermarket are effectively prohibited from competing with any new retailers 700 metres up the road in the Council’s proposed new town centre. There is no level playing field, it is grossly unfair and must be removed, he said.
“Michael Ball, Independent planning expert has said the Council’s actions are unprecedented.
“SOSV has independent town planning advice that the existing Shearwater town centre has the capacity for further retail development. We support further development in the existing Shearwater town centre, in accordance with the Masterplan prepared by Renaissance Planning – not a new town centre 700 metres away.
“We have called for a Parliamentary inquiry and so far the Greens are supporting it. Our group will be writing to the relevant State and Federal members of parliament, the Council, the developer, Woolworths and the ACCC alerting to our concerns and requesting a positive response,” he concluded.
The Motion passed overwhelmingly (eight opposing) at the meeting is set out below:
MOTION
That this meeting notes:
1. There is strong opposition to the establishment of a new Shearwater town centre as evidenced by the 2800 petitions tabled in the State Parliament;
2. That the developer has refused to release the plans for the new retail shopping complex and new town centre, even though approved;
3. The Latrobe Council have made significant and adverse planning decisions while rejecting independent advice and objective evidence supporting any development in the existing town centre;
4. The Latrobe Council agreement to sell the land for the new town centre was signed 6 weeks after Council introduced anti-competitive restrictions on existing Shearwater businesses on 24 April 2008;
5. That Michael Ball, Independent Planning Expert, said the Latrobe Council’s unfair and anti-competitive restrictions on existing Shearwater businesses are ‘unprecedented’; and
Therefore expresses no confidence in the Latrobe Council and calls for a State Parliamentary Inquiry into the above and a moratorium on the proposed development.
Moved: by Steve Butler, seconded by Stuart Richey.
End.
Note: Point 4 of the Motion refers to the Development Agreement between the Latrobe Council and Fairbrother Pty Ltd dated 3 June 2008.
